For better or for worse, an awful lot of Chicago history springs from the South Loop. Home to local institutions like Printer's Row and, more recently, Lollapalooza, this was also ground zero for the infamous Democratic Convention riots of 1968. Nowadays, it's a neighborhood on the grow, with high- and mid-rise condo buildings under constant construction and new businesses cropping up nearly every day.

The South Loop is something of a cultural hotbed, housing two esteemed liberal arts schools, Columbia College Chicago and Roosevelt University. Just off Lake Shore Drive, the beautifully manicured Museum Campus encompasses Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum. Further up the road lie Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, and McCormick Place, the city's largest convention center.